Building structure



July 14, 1931. J. w. HoLMAN BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed March 2o, 1930 5 sheets-.sheet 2 J. W. HOLMAN BUILDING STRUCTURE Fl'ed March 20. 1930 July 14, 1931.

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J, W55 man $-Lllwlml m am v Patented July 14, 1931 TENT `FFIC 'JOSEPH W. H0LIu'Alil',v OF NASHVIVILLE, TENNESSEE BUILDING STRUCTURE Application led March 20, 1930. Serial No. 437,418.

`.This invention relates to improvements in buildings, particularly buildings of the character used for storing motor vehicles.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide a storage building for motor vehicles wherein are employed ramps leading from one floor level to the other` in an unbroken line, that is without changing the inclination thereof in any respect from one-end to the other so that a long gradual inclined surface is provided by means of which vehicles may pass from one floor level to the other. K

Another object of the invention is to pro vide av vehicle storage building wherein a system of ramps is provided by means of` whicha car may pass from the street level floor of the vbuilding to the top thereof in a i spiral path without stopping or meeting a vehicle proceeding from the top of the building to th-ebott'om thereof, a completely separate ramp system being provided for vehicles leaving the building.

Another object of the invention is to provide ascending and descending ramp systems whereby the inwardly vand outwardly moving vehicles may be kept'from meeting at any point except 'at the entrance of the systems, in which the ascending and descending ramp systems are super-posed thus requiring a minimum 'of space.

The present building structure is designed to not only provide a maximum amount of storage space with a minimum of waste space but to provide means whereby all possibility of accident is avoided between incoming and outgoing machines and in addition to this the moving of machines from one floor level to y another may be accomplished with greater 40 speed than in systems of the type at present in use. y

The invention will be best understood from a con-sideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming` part of this specification, with the understanding, however,v thatthe invention is not confined to any vstrict conformity with theshowing of the drawings but may be changed or modified sokk long as such changes or modifications mark 'no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended' claim-s.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a horizontal sectional view taken through a building constructed in accordance with the present invention, this section being taken substantially upon the line 1 1 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view takenv upon the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken upon the line 8 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken upon the line 4 4 of Figure 1. i

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken onthe line 5 5 of Figure 1. i

Figure 6 isa sectional view taken on the line .6 6 of Figure 1.

ings it will be seen that I have shown in Figure 1 aplan view of a building constructed in accordance with my'invention which repre'- sents the building as'being divided'into three areas. This represents the simplestV type of building which may be constructed `1n accordance with the present invention and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited in any respect to a building so laid out for it will be obvious from a further consideration of the drawings taken in conjunction with the present specification ythat the floor a-reas and the mezzanine or intermediate floors associated therewith may be increased in size and number without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Inthe form of building illustrated there is represented bythe numerals 1, 2 and 3, front, side and back lwalls respectively which walls may be provided as necessity requires f Referringmore particularly to the draw- 7 the top thereof a substantial distance for the provision of a central upper section hereinafter more fully described.

Disposed between the four outer walls of the building are the super-posed floors 10 which7 as shown in any one of the three vertical sectional views, are separated into front and rear portions by the dividing walls 6 thus forming transversely through the building a vertical continuation of the area 8.

In this area 8 there is disposed between the walls 6 a superposed series of intermediate or mezzanine floors 11 which, as shown, are disposed in planes between the planes of the main floor sections 10.

The first or ground level floor isY reached through the entrances 12 inthe front wall of the building and has leading therefromat one side of the building an upwardly inclined ramp indicated generally by the numeral 13. As shown this ramp 13 is straight throughout and passes through the front partition wall 6 directly upwardly and rearwardly through the first of the intermediate or mezzanine floors 11 to the roar portion of the second floor 10 of the building. From the rear portion of the second floor at the opposite side of the building a second ramp 13a leads from a point adjacent the rear partition wall 6 through a suitable doorway or opening 14 upwardly and forwardly upon a straight unbroken line to the forward part of the third floor. Leading from the front portion of the third floor on the side of the building where the first ramp 13 is positioned is a straight unbroken ramp 13b which leads upwardly through the third mezzanine floor to the rear of the fourth floor of the fourth Hoor of the building and from here a short ramp 130 leads onto the topmost mezzanine floor which is the highest point in the building and as shown is, of course, in the central portion thereof. Since the topmost one of the mezzanine floors 11 is higher than the topinost one of the main floors it is, of course, necessary that the partition wall 6 be eX- tended upwardly above the outer walls of the building so that suficient head room is provided. The series of ramps just described constitute the means by which vehicles may f pass upwardly from one iioor level to the other. Y

For the downward movement of vehicles from one Hoor to another of a lower level an entirely independent series of ramps is provided. Starting at the top of the building a vehicle would leave the topniost mezzanine floor by way of the short ramp 15 which is disposed upon the opposite side of the building from the upwardly leading ramp 13e and leads downwardly onto the forward portionV of the top or fourth main floor. From here the vehicle would proceed to the opposite side of the building to the long straight ramp 15a which leads in an unbrokenpath fromV the forward portion of the fourth floor downwardly through suitable door openings 14 in the walls 6 to the rear portion of the third Hoor, passing directly through the third mezzanine floor as shown in Figure 3. From the rear portion of the third floor the vehicle would then return to the side of the building upon which the ramp 15 is disposed and would there enter the descending forwardly directed ramp 15b which passes downwardly through the second mezzanine floor to the front portion of the second oor and from here passage would be made again to the other side of the building where the vehicle would enter the last descending ramp 150 which leads downwardly to the first mezzanine floor where it terminates, the vehicle then proceeding across the first mezzanine floor to the ramp 13 down which it would pass upon the side indicated by the numeral 15d to the first iioor of the building. The first half of the main or entrance ramp 13 thus serves both for incoming and outgoing vehicles, it being provided with a central dividing wall 1G to prevent vehicles coming in contact one with the other. This is the only point in the building where vehicles will meet.

From the foregoing it will be readily seen that while the vehicles do not traverse the mezzanine floors from one side of the building to the other in passing from one floor to the other, except the outwardly moving vehicles which must cross the first mezzanine7 the mezzanine floors may be employed as cross-overs and cars may be stored upon the mezzanine ioors as well as upon the main floors without danger of congesting or otherwise upsetting the system. In order to provide for the smooth passage of cars from the ramps onto the mezzanine floors and vice versa when the cars are to be stored on the mezzanines or are to be taken therefrom for removal to higher or lower floors, the mezzanine floors at the point adjacent the ramps which pass therethrough are warped slightly to facilitate the easy passage of the machines. These warped areas or sections are indicated by the numerals 17, they being shown more clearly in Figures 5 and 6 which represent, as in Figure 6, the downward inclination of the mezzanine floor where the ramp is at a lower level than the same and in Figure 5 the upward inclination of the mezzanine floor where the ramp is at a higher level.

In order to' insure the safe passage of cars along the ramps each is provided at each side with a low guard curb 18. These curbs as shown in the vertical sectional views of the building structure extend from the ends of the ramps where they join the main floor sections well iiito the adjacent mezzanine floor area to the point in the ioor where the same is warped as indicated at 17.

From the foregoing it will be readily seen that the groups or combinations of ramps constitute a double helical spiral vertically through the building` by means of which access can be had to all floor levels and to all mezzanines.

When the building is employed for storing motor cars, as will be readily ap preciated, it may be employed for storing other articles, the ramps being used for conveying the articles from one iioor tothe other, stalls may be provided along the faces of the front, back and dividing walls at the points indicated by the numerals 19 by placing curbs or other dividing means in the proper positions upon the floors. In this manner a sufficient aisle space is provided transversely of the building along the main and mezzanine floors for the passage of motor cars from one ramp to the other without damaging cars stored in the stalls.

It will be observed that motors may be driven for a full story height of elevation Without turning into the intermediate floor levels. It will also be observed that the ramps themselves serve as an aisle for connecting up the various cross aisles in the building, making the space of theramp serve the double duty of the purpose of a ramp and an aisle, thereby providing economy in space.

It will also be observed, too, that the superposed system of ramps wit-.h the long straight runways and easy grades, and with provision for separate traiic for incoming and outgoing cars, provides most rapid and safe handling of vehicles. This last feature is especially beneficial during the rush periods of heavy traffic.

This same system of ramps can be built into a building of any length which would provide multiples of the sections described in the above building which has three sections with all of the sections arranged in tandem and with the ramps extending lengthways ofthe ground area connecting the two end sections and passing throughall intermediate sections and intersecting the floors of the intermediate sections near their middle points.

F or instance, if the ground area is long enough five sections could be built and the ramp could extend from section l to section 5, making a climb of two full story heights Without any turn or break in grade and provide access to some floor level in sections 2, 3 and 4.

While there has been shown a building divided into three sections and having these sections separated by transverse walls or partitions it is, of course, to be understood that I do not wish to be limited in any respect to the construction of a three section building nor in the use of solid walls between the sections, such as have been illustrated. Therefore, the term walls is to be construed broad enough to comprehend pipe railings or other dividing elements and curbs to separate the lmain ioor sections fromzthe area in which the mezzaniney iioors are located' so that better ventilation will be provided through they building.

Having thus described my' invention, what I claim is:

1. In a building, a plurality of superposed floors separated into portions disposed in the same horizontall planes kand connecting between opposite walls of the building, partition walls separating the portions vof the floors and having passage openings therethrough, mezzanine floors disposed between the rst mentioned or main floor portions and arranged in planes intermediate the same and also connecting between said opposite walls, a series of ramps facilitating passage of vehicles from the first main floor to the top mezzanine Hoor, each ramp extending onv an unbroken incline from one floor portion to the remote next higher floor portion and disposed transversely of and passing through an intermediate mezzanine ioor, and a second series of ramps facilitating downward travel of vehicles from the said top mezzaninefloorto the first floorof the building including ramps leading from a main Hoor portion through and transversely of an adjacent mezzanine floor at an unbroken downward inclinationy to the neXt lower remo-te ioor portion, said mezzanine floors being warped at each side of eacli ramp which passes therethrough to facilitate the smooth passage of a vehicle from the unbroken inclined surface of the ramp onto or ed of the adjacent mezzanine floor, each of said ramps having guard curbs extending along a portion ofA each side thereof from a main floor portion to the adjacent warped portion of the adjacent mezzanine floor.

2. In a motor vehicle storage building, a

series of superposed floors each being separated into portions disposed in the same horizontal plane and extending from one side wall of the building to the other, mezzanine floors disposed between the portions of the main floors and in planes intermediate the same and connecting with said building side walls, and a double series 'of superposed ramps, each series forming a substantially helical path vertically of the building for the passage of a vehicle in one direction only, each series of `ramps including, intermediate its ends, ramps forming a straight, unbroken, inclined path directly from one floor portion through and across an adjacent mezzanine floor to the adjacent floor portion on a higher or lower level, the mezzanine floors providing car storage space on both sides of the ramps and further providing means for passing a vehicle from one ramp series to another.

8.` A motor vehicle storage building, a series of .supe-rposed floors each being separated into portions disposed in the same horizontal plane, mezzanine floors disposed between the portions of the main ioors and in planes intermediate the same and connecting with opposite side walls of the building, and a double series of superposed ramps, one thereof providing a continuous substantially helical path vertically of the building from the lowest to the highest mezzanine floor for the passage of a vehicle in one direction therealong, the other series providing a continu.- ous substantially helical path vertically of the building from the first floor through the first mezzanine to the top mezzanine of the building, each of the ramps of the first series, except those terminating on the lowest and highest mezzanines, forming a'straight, unbroken, inclined path from one floor portion through and across an adjacent mezzanine floor to the adjacent floor portion on a higher or lower level, each of the ramps of the second mentioned series, except those terminating at the top mezzanine, forming a straight, unbroken, inclined path from one floor portion through and across an adjacent mezzanine oor to the adjacent floor portion on a higher or lowerlevel, and the lowermost ramp of the second mentioned series being centrally divided from the first mezzanine floor downwardly to facilitate the use of one half thereof as a continuation of the first mentioned series.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOSEPH W. HOLMAN. 

